Nearly 200 registrants gathered Sunday, June 8 through Tuesday, June 10, 2025, at The Westin Nashville for the Energy & Mineral Law Foundation’s 46th Annual Institute. The attendees included a record 22 law students who attended using Schetroma Travel Grants, as well as many long-time EMLF members and a number of energy industry professionals attending the Annual Institute for the first time.The AI opened with a well-attended reception at the L27 Roof Top Lounge (featuring The Emo Cowgirl) at the Westin Nashville on Sunday evening. During the reception, EMLF honored Sandra Fraley of Steptoe & Johnson with this year’s John L. McClaugherty Award, recognizing the many accomplishments during her career and her significant contributions to EMLF.
EMLF’s Young Professionals group hosted a reception at Pins Mechanical, a fun place with multiple bars and numerous arcade games. The Young Professionals invited everyone, even the not-so-young professionals, and many seasoned professionals were seen drinking and bowling alongside the young lawyers and law students. Rumor has it that, after the Young Professionals reception wound down at 11 p.m., many of the students attending the Annual Institute went out for additional networking in the honky tonk bars on Nashville’s famous Broadway Street.
Monday morning began with a hot breakfast, then outgoing EMLF President Travis Brown welcomed attendees at the start of the substantive program. The first panel got the program off to an interesting start with a discussion of the “First 100 Days of the Trump Administration.” Later during the day, speakers presented on several topics, including the rise of data centers and the substantial electricity demand that they bring, as well as a primer on small modular nuclear reactors and microreactors, as well as ethical duties arising from the rise of and use of artificial intelligence.
Other sessions on Monday included a caselaw update and discussions of powering data centers, of energy project financing, asset-based securitization transactions, and legal developments relating to DEI programs.After the substantive sessions on Monday, EMLF held a reception for attendees, then many attendees participated in EMLF’s popular dine-around tradition.
On Tuesday, speakers made presentations on various topics including M&A trends in the energy industry, the negotiation of intellectual property agreements, responding to disasters, potential pitfalls relating to joint operating agreements, potential liability in wildfire litigation, a review of class action and MDL litigation, and the use of eminent domain for pipeline easements.
Incoming EMLF President Stefanie Burt, of EQT, thanked outgoing President Travis Brannon, K &L Gates, for his services to EMLF. The President announced EMLF’s 47th Annual Institute will be held next June on a date TBD in Charleston, South Carolina.
